Social & External
The people behind it
In 1944 Lye moved to New York City, initially to direct for the documentary newsreel The March of Time. He settled in the West Village, where he mixed with artists who later became the Abstract Expressionists, encouraged New York’s emerging filmmakers such as Francis Lee, taught with Hans Richter, and assisted Ian Hugo on Bells of Atlantis. Color Cry was based on a development of the “rayogram” or “shadow cast” process, using fabrics as stencils, with the images synchronized to a haunting blues song by Sonny Terry, which Lye imagined to be the anguished cry of a runaway slave. —Harvard Film Archive
The first 12 minutes would later be released as "Fountain of Dreams"
A rat goes out to look for something in a tower.
Fischinger's abstract designs accompanied by Gitta Alpar singing. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2000.
"These Are the Days is about the passing of time. It is a computer animation of falling paper, with a sound-track of people counting. By combining mathematical models of different physical phenomena such as gravity, elasticity and aerodynamics I can create abstracted simulations of natural systems. As well as the formal qualities that are explored in this work, I am interested in other possible readings. The endless flow of paper suggests the meditative space of a waterfall, yet also speaks of consumption and waste. Our lives are documented by a continual stream of paper, from birth and death certificates to supermarket receipts."
A drug artist designs a new piece that is triggered by exposure to audio visual static.
Short experimental animated film by by Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt
"In an effort to explore the flexibility of Telidon, Canada's videotex system, Pierre Moretti, animation artist from the National Film Board, used, in the graphic mode, the geometric figures which form the basis for Telidon's picture description instructions. Thus he created this short animated film."
A short avant-garde film from Finnish director Eino Ruutsalo.
Flashing lights explode across an apartment as images of a woman in bed flicker in and out.
Taking inspiration from 20th-century avant-garde experiments in graphical sound generation, the entire image in O/S functions as an optical soundtrack. Abstract motion becomes sound.
The animation, music, and optical printing of Kitsch in Synch was produced by Beckett and the students in two classes he was teaching at CalArts. Although a group project, it is clear that Beckett was the director. The playful, catchy soundtrack is used to create a cycle of building tension and release. The brightly colored shapes create approximate symmetrical formations and become more densely layered, with glimpses of iconographic objects and even live footage near the end. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive, in partnership with the iotaCenter, in 2007.
Flowers dance and transform in water, using strobe effects and superimposition. A meditation on life cycles through botanical animation, continuing Jodie Mack's material exploration.
'This Socks' is a stop motion animation short film that experiments with different techniques to illustrate a common everyday annoyance.
Autumn adventurers unite! "Leaf Peeper" takes you on a frantic frolic of Fall foliage until your eyes pop out. Shot on Super 8 in single frames with pixilation, puppet stop motion, frenetic pans, and plenty of plaid, this very short short film packs every second with as many picturesque and picaresque frames as possible, turning leaf peeping into equal parts immersion therapy and extreme sport to capture the sublime bliss of a lovely day out and about.
A seashell belonging to a northern moon snail twists and turns 360 degrees in multiple wooden homemade contraptions and through contact sheets at a progressively rapid pace, before finally synthesizing the gnomic growth of the spiral shell and exploring the phenomena of virtual and real space and time. Directed by Al Jarnow.
It is said that if a man is fading away, he sees his life running quickly in front of his eyes. What does a hundred-year old film strip see before it gives way to digital vehicles? Does it see broken frames, scratched film stock or something else? This is a film about time and its ephemeral nature.
An experimental short from Oskar Fischinger
Po and the Furious Five uncover the legend of three of kung fu's greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox, and Master Croc.
In this anime visual album, a mysterious driver heads deep into a postapocalyptic hellscape toward a ferocious showdown with two monstrous opponents.
Across different eras, a poor family, an anxious developer and a fed-up landlady become tied to the same mysterious house in this animated dark comedy.
Donald is an admiral on a seagoing voyage with his nephews in which they encounter a ravenous shark.
Heart set on becoming a princess, Lisa Simpson is surprised to learn being bad might be more fun.
A Shrek parody of Michael Jackson's Thriller song and music video, with Donkey singing.
A narrator explains the history of the Olympic Games while Goofy demonstrates events.
A white dropout struggles to become a cartoonist and filmmaker, drawing inspiration from the harsh, gritty world around him. Still sharing his rundown apartment with his middle-aged parents, an oafish slob of an Italian father and a ditzy nutcase of a Jewish mother, he's ridiculed and looked down upon by his friends, hypocrites who run with violent gangs and the Italian Mafia, and a shallow Black girl who makes her living downtown with the pimps and pushers. The cartoonist gets a chance to pitch a film idea to a movie mogul, but the story proves too outrageous: a far-future Earth, depleted by war and pollution, where a mutant antihero challenges and kills God.
Aging painter Louis and his wife Michelle struggle to cope with Louis' advancing dementia.
The Big Bad Wolf torments Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs.
Lupita Nyong'o narrates a documentary about Peanuts and its creator, Charles M. Schulz. Famous fans—including Drew Barrymore, Kevin Smith, and Al Roker—share its influence on them, and a new animated story finds Charlie Brown on a quest.
A basketball game of Goofs (P.U. vs. U.U.) in which the players play furiously, often breaking the rules of the game. All of the players are named after Disney artists.
Taking all the places on both teams, Goofy demonstrates the game of football with varying results, having problems with the coach and the goal post.
By accident, Cedric (Goofy), replaces his master, Sir Loinsteak, in the armor just before the joust with champion Sir Cumference.
A series of 30 sketches, following the hilarious antics of various characters from a galaxy, far, far away.
A jealous stump threatens two trees that are in love by starting a forest fire. When the rain comes and puts out the fire the forest revives and celebrates the wedding.
Donald's sister Dumbella sends her three sons Huey, Dewey, and Louie to visit their uncle Donald. They prove to be quite a handful for Donald, even with help from his book on child rearing.
Ella Blake, a stop-motion animator struggling to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother, embarks upon the creation of a film that becomes the battleground for her sanity. As Ella’s mind starts to fracture, the characters in her project take on a life of their own.
Mickey's going golfing, and Pluto is his caddy. Besides the usual caddy duties, Pluto runs to the ball and points to it. But when the ball lands in a gopher hole, Pluto's got another task: chase the gopher. They eventually chase each other through a number of holes in a knoll where Mickey is trying to putt out, causing the knoll to collapse.
After starting up their own teen magazine, Bratz girls Yasmin, Cloe, Jade, and Sasha fly to London to cover a rock concert.
